Editor's note: The Inspired Stays series highlights hotels we love around Italy. Each property is independently reviewed by an Italy Magazine writer, who is generally hosted on a complimentary basis. Our contributors do not accept compensation or gifts in exchange for specific types of coverage. We only showcase properties we would genuinely recommend overall.
Why we love it
When it opened in 2024, this luxury boutique hotel finally gave Orvieto a truly fabulous place to stay and destination dining in the historic center. There’s simply nothing else like it in town.
What to expect
Set in a Renaissance palace just steps from the Duomo, Palazzo Petrvs is an intimate five-star hotel with a striking design by Giuliano Andrea dell’Uva, who also worked on Palazzo Avino on the Amalfi Coast. Here, the colors are darker and more muted, as befitting a medieval Umbrian hill town, but the modern design elements exalt the historic architecture, creating a dialogue between the past and present. Within the hotel but independently run, the fine dining restaurant is a destination in and of itself. Guests can also relax in a cozy lounge with an original fireplace on the piano nobile.
Background
Built in 1475 as the home of wealthy notary Petrvs Facenius, the palazzo changed hands several times over the centuries before falling into a state of abandon and disrepair. In the early 2020s, young local entrepreneur Raffaele Tysserand purchased the building and tapped Giuliano Andrea dell’Uva to renovate it, drawing inspiration from its surroundings. Black-and-white stripes, for example, allude to the Duomo’s facade.
Location, location, location
Palazzo Petrvs is in the heart of Orvieto’s pedestrianized centro storico, right on Via del Duomo. The charming city center is compact and walkable, with plenty of restaurants, shops and interesting sites, including the Duomo with its elaborate ceiling frescoes by Luca Signorelli, the Museo Etrusco Claudio Faina, and the Orvieto Underground, a network of ancient tunnels. Orvieto is just over an hour from Rome or a couple of hours from Florence by train. From the train station, a funicular will transport you to the historic center.
Where you’ll sleep
There are just nine rooms and suites and each one is individually designed. My spacious junior suite had a bed in the center of the room facing the windows, a Chromecast-enabled TV, a cozy fireplace, a couple of armchairs, a large wardrobe and a minibar with complimentary soft drinks, tea and espresso. The spacious bathroom had a rain-head shower and separate soaking tub. I loved the design, which featured striped floors, wooden beamed ceilings, textured walls and a neon light installation.
Dining & drinks
A nice breakfast buffet is included and the bar serves light bites to go with the drinks, but the real star here is Ristorante Coro, set in a deconsecrated church. Run by Chef Ronald Bukri and Maître Francesco Perali, it quickly gained acclaim as Orvieto’s best fine dining restaurant. Having worked at Sketch in London and Guillaume at Bennelong in Sydney, Albanian-born Bukri brings technical precision and a worldly approach, creating inventive dishes like roasted pumpkin with sea buckthorn, forest berries, and clams. Put your trust in him and opt for the tasting menu — you won’t regret it.
Service notes
The hotel’s staff are friendly and helpful. When my friend and I arrived, the young woman at the reception desk helped us figure out where to park and the next day her colleague booked us tickets for the Orvieto Underground tour. The staff at Coro are also very knowledgeable and attentive.
Spa time
There’s no gym or spa, but guests can book in-room massages upon request.
Family perks
Baby cots and diaper pails are available, but overall the hotel tends to attract families with older kids and teenagers rather than babies and toddlers. Some rooms are available with twin beds and in a few rooms an extra single bed can be added upon request.
Accessibility
- The hotel has an elevator.
- The hotel has ADA-friendly rooms and bathrooms available.
Features & amenities
- City setting
- Restaurant
- Bar
- Free wifi
- Paid parking
- Family-friendly
Contacts
Palazzo Petrvs
Via del Duomo 23, Orvieto
Tel. +39 0763967230
Website
